Instagram Shopping is widely available across the US to apparel, jewelry, and beauty brands, which allows retailers to add product information and links to their photos. Without buying ads, retailers can test landing pages like never before. Instagram will also release metrics so businesses can tell which posts are performing best. Thus far, this feature is only available for single posts, not videos or albums.

Startups, such as @sty.lust, have also popped up to make purchasing looks on IG easier. Simply tag @sty.lust in a photo with the item you want, and they will do the rest.

Fake news is an epidemic. We see it daily, and it heavily plagued the 2016 US election. The issue has gotten so bad, President Barack Obama actually spoke directly to Mark Zuckerberg.

According to New York Times, Zuckerberg admitted he had talked to the former president about his complaints.

Obama has spoken out about fake news before. Prior to the election, he specifically called out Facebook.

“In an age where there’s so much active misinformation and it’s packaged very well and it looks the same when you see it on a Facebook page or you turn on your television, if everything seems to be the same and no distinctions are made, then we won’t know what to protect,” he said.

According to Facebook, Live Audio will be widely available early next year. Your subscribers will be notified once you begin a Live Audio session. Broadcasts will have a 4 hour time frame allowing for a variety of content.

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Instagram released an update, available today for iOS and Android, introducing stickers to add to your Stories. Adorn your posts with snowmen and candy canes as well as stickers to be used year round like the temperature and locations.

Also introduced in the update is “hands-free” mode, allowing users to video with one tap opposed to holding down the record button.

The coveted checkmark. Everyone wants one, but only because not every one has one. However, for users of public interest, the process to become verified just got a bit easier.

The new application process rolled out to users in the U.S. this week and will soon be available to the rest of the world. When applying, users must show URLs to support their relevance for verification.

The process is said to take no more than 30 days for approval. If denied, uses may resubmit.

You may have noticed your Instagram feed has been flooded with posts like above. Users are begging their followers to turn on post notifications to insure their audiences see every image they post. More than 250,000 people have even signed and shared a Change.org petition. The question is, is this really necessary?

In the upcoming weeks, Instagram is testing an algorithm based feed opposed to their current chronological feed. The algorithm will be similar to Facebook’s Newsfeed, where posts will be ordered by what Instagram feels you want to see.

According to Instagram’s blog, “people miss on average 70 percent of their feeds… To improve your experience, your feed will soon be ordered to show the moments we believe you will care about the most. The order of photos and videos in your feed will be based on the likelihood you’ll be interested in the content, your relationship with the person posting and the timeliness of the post. As we begin, we’re focusing on optimizing the order — all the posts will still be there, just in a different order.”

The point is, you will still see your favorite account’s posts. The adorable photo of your best friend’s baby will be there. That awesome shot your boyfriend snapped front row at Coachella will still be there. In fact, they will probably be at the top of your feed, despite what time they were posted.

Sure the change will be a bit jolting at first, but there is no need to resort to flooding your followers with post notifications. Just think of it like when Facebook or Twitter announced their algorithm feeds. This too shall pass.

Gone our the days of wondering if your videos are getting enough love! Instagram is adding a feature which will count video views. This will aid marketers everywhere, who previously were working blind in terms of video audiences.

Paying advertisers have always been privy to this information, but this is huge news for marketers, social media stars, and brands alike. This critical data which will measure the impact videos have on audiences.

Similar to its parent company Facebook, Instagram considers a view after a video has been played for 3 seconds. Social media platforms are taking steps to push video content in hopes of luring marketers and advertisers. Instagram has also extended brands videos to a 60 second time, opposed to users 15 second videos.

Are you excited about this new feature? Let us know in the comments below!

Instagram has finally answered our prayers! The popular photo sharing site now supports multiple accounts without signing out of the mobile app. The new update will allow users to add up to five additional accounts.

This feature has been one of the most popular requests for some time now, and will aid bloggers, business owners, and social media strategists everywhere.

While multiple accounts make our lives more convenient, it also allows for mistakes to be made by accidentally posting to an alternative account. Be sure to be mindful of your avatar photo on the lower right corner when posting to ensure you post to the correct account.

How to add accounts

Go to your profile.

Tap on the gear or triple-dot icon on the top right and scroll to “Add Account.”